Extinguishing Fire
by rokubi-raijuu
Summary: A couple of years later, Zoey finds herself braving the storms of her old home to participate in the Wallace Cup being hosted at Lake Acuity this year. There, she meets an unexpected friend. Mainly Zoey's POV. One-shot.


Heyo~! This is technically my first fic, since it's on this account, but I also have some other stuff (that's not related to Pokemon xD) on my old account Pyroxhawk. Yeah, some Kingdom Hearts stuff mainly on there. ^^;

Anyway! Of course I do not own any of these characters (although to be honest, I would KILL to own Zoey 8D) but I proudly own this fanfic.

Hope you enjoy~

Oh, and R&R please. ^^ There is also a request at the bottom of the page once you've finished reading. Please look at it and take it into considering, thanks a bunch~

- Mimi

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**Extinguishing Fire**

"_All the things she said, all the things she said, running through my head, running through my head, running through my head."_

Would you believe they hadn't picked a better place for the Wallace Cup this year? Any sensible native of the perpetually storm-ridden Snowpoint City would've openly protested against this – as it stood, she was willing to bet that none of the officials on the Contest board had lived a good majority of their life in these less-than-desirable conditions. A certain red-head, however, was very well aware of the kind of storms that were regular just on the outskirts of the mountaintop city, and it was this very red-head that was now traipsing through the nearly waist-deep snow in an attempt to make it to the Acuity Lakefront before the moon got too high in the sky.

One arm lifted in front of her face in a feeble attempt to keep the wintry flakes from getting into her eyes, Zoey trudged her way through the endless plains of snow, her progress becoming slower and slower with each second as her strength was sapped from her. One would think that having been born here, she wouldn't have much trouble navigating through the blinding snowstorm, but it seemed that her years away from Snowpoint had severely diminished her sense of direction in this vast field. The heavy snowstorm was howling all around her, flakes clinging to her face and any patch of exposed skin like glue to the point where she nearly looked like a walking snowman. Unable to see even three feet in front of her for how much the subzero storm blinded her vision, Zoey was forced to simply trust her mediocre sense of direction and hope that she would end up in the right place.

Clad in a much thicker outfit than her usual purple-and-orange attire for the sole purpose of getting through this storm without freezing to death, she continued to make her way toward her invisible goal. _I can't even remember where the damn Lakefront is… _she mumbled to herself silently, and ground her teeth in frustration. Every now and then, the sound of an avid skier would whoosh past her ears, the only thing that reminded her that she wasn't completely alone in this gigantic storm. Otherwise, she could've been easily convinced that she was walking by her lonesome toward a never-ending goal, no end or beginning in sight with just the wind and snow for company.

Suddenly, something hazy came into view up ahead, just the outline of its grey shape visible against the roaring snow around her. Letting her arm fall slightly (as her shoulder was aching like all hell), she squinted, maroon eyes narrowing as she shifted ever closer, trying to make out exactly what the gigantic shape in the distance was. Was it the Lakefront? As she drew nearer, her spirits plummeted – no, she was nowhere near the Lakefront. About ready to simply turn back and give up on this year's Wallace Cup for how exasperated she was, Zoey recognized the looming shape as the famous Snowpoint Temple, the grandest structure of the city. That meant she was right on the outskirt of the small city, and she had passed Acuity somewhere all the way back there. The good news was that now she had passed the perpetually snowed-in field, the storm had died down considerably and she was no longer in danger of being buried alive.

The bad news was, as she realized when she turned and looked over her shoulder at the ever-raging tempest of snow behind her, that she had passed her destination sometime ago, and was not in the highest of spirits to trek back through that storm in an attempt to once more locate the gap in the treeline that would mark the entrance to the Lakefront. Maybe later. Letting a sigh escape from her lips, the red-head watched as the breath swirled in the air and then dissipated into mist to join the ever-cloudy skies above the city. Turning her back on the field, she made her way into the city, deciding to rest up for now at the Pokemon Center and then make another attempt to brave the storm and find Acuity. _I bet tons of coordinators aren't even coming to this one because of this Arceus-forsaken storm. _She wouldn't blame them. She'd grown up here and she couldn't even find her way through that maelstrom.

Well, home sweet home.

The transparent sliding automatic doors whirred open as she approached to grant her entrance, the crystallized snow on her outfit beginning to melt and drip onto the shined floor as she walked. Her normally spunky flame-colored hair was now matted down and damp from those hours of navigating through the snow, speckled with flakes of the semi-solidified liquid. As she shuffled her way to the desk, digging out four Pokeballs from her belt, Nurse Joy turned to look at her and despite the years that had passed, immediately recognized the native coordinator.

"Zoey!" the pink-haired woman gasped with delight, a grin spreading on her lips. "Why, you're back!"

"Haha, yeah," Zoey responded with the nicest smile she could manage at that moment despite being ready to collapse. "The Wallace Cup is on the Acuity Lakefront this year, so I thought I might as well pay a visit." Okay, so that was a total lie – she had only winded up back home because the stupid storm had side-tracked her, but who needed details? "Could you take care of my Pokemon for me? I think I'll stay here for tonight."

"Good idea," Joy agreed with a nod as she placed the four Pokeballs on the transmitters that would ship them to the safekeeping room. "Braving that snowstorm to find Acuity right now isn't a great plan. They say the snowstorm's stronger than ever this year – it's blown in lots of people coming to see the Contest. In fact, you're in luck. I only have one empty room left available – it's all yours."

A couple hesitant blinks conveyed the young girl's surprise as she took the keys from the Nurse, and smiled. "Great. Thanks." She was just thankful she wouldn't have to share a room with anyone – the last thing she needed was to worry about someone else and sleeping arrangements when she had more pressing matters on her mind: the Contest, getting to Acuity in the morning, and namely, something that had been on her mind nearly constantly since a couple years ago at the last Wallace Cup that had been hosted at Lake Valor.

A rare flash of some conflicted emotion crossed the young girl's expression as she made her way down the spotless hallways, all thoughts of the Wallace Cup pushed to the back of her mind as something else was pulled to the forefront.

"_Great job Dawn. You did great, congratulations on winning!" The red head glanced down at the white and blue ribbon held securely in her friend's hand – the prestigious Aqua Ribbon handed to her by no one other than Wallace himself. _

_The blue-haired girl raised her head, dark eyes sparkling as she smiled, unable to keep the happiness from her face. "Thanks! I couldn't have done it without you, Zoey! You helped me so much."_

"_Ehhh…" A blush lit the cheeks of the aspiring master coordinator as she glanced down, averting the younger girl's eyes. "No problem. It was nothing. You did great on your own." When she looked back up again, all trace of uncertainty was gone, replaced by a look of genuine happiness for her dear friend. _

"_If you say so Zoey, but I'll never forget all the time you've helped me!" Unexpectedly, the winner flung her arms around Zoey's neck, a smile on her face. "Thanks so much. You're the best friend I could ever ask for."_

_Caught by surprise, she was unsure what to do for a moment, but then smiled tentatively and returned the hug before pushing Dawn back at arm's length. "Heh. That's what friends are for." Letting one arm fall to her side, she reached up with the other and pulled her sunglasses down to shade her eyes. "Well, I'll be going now. Gotta hit the road. See you some time."_

_Dawn smiled, a brief nod bobbing her head as Zoey turned and headed down the dirt road, the shaded glasses concealing the glimmer of confusion and mild sadness in her wine-colored eyes. Oh, the things Dawn didn't know… "Bye Zoey! See you!" Not trusting her voice, the red-head raised a hand and flicked her wrist once to the side in a farewell. _

A gentle frowned curved the corners of her mouth as she arrived at the door of her room, turning the key and feeling the lock click open as she slipped inside, thoughts far removed from the small but cozy little room she was now in. Even as she moved about, almost subconsciously getting herself settled in, she wasn't thinking of how to figure out getting to the Lakefront tomorrow morning.

"_You're the best friend I could ever ask for…" _

Memories. Memories of the eager, blue-haired girl seemed to haunt her wherever she went. No matter how much Zoey tried to push thoughts of her friend to the back of her mind, they always seemed to surface at the most inappropriate moments. _Just best friends? _She found herself questioning with an almost disappointed tone.

_Well, what are you looking for Zoey, _another voice chimed in, _something more? _

That voice had obviously been her mind. Now successfully changed into her pajamas with her soaked snow clothing hung to dry on a chair, she sat down with a huff onto the bed, expression somber as the battle inside her raged.

_It might be a possibility. _

_Dawn made it pretty clear that she's just friends with you._

_But… I… _

_What, you love her? _Her mind nearly sneered. At that manifestation of her innermost thoughts, Zoey couldn't help but abruptly stand, fists clenched with indecision. She had never dared to think those words to herself – to think that she might… might _love_ Dawn. She admitted that her feelings went beyond friendship, but… love? Such a foreign concept.

At that moment voices down the hallway interrupted her internal war with herself, and these voices surprisingly managed to break through her current oblivious shell, and she raised her head, blinking as she tuned into the conversation. Instantly she allowed her entire expression and posture to revert back to her usual one of casual, but friendly indifference. One would never be able to tell she'd been thinking about anything other than the upcoming Contest. As ever, Zoey wasn't the type to wear her emotions on her sleeve. No one, Dawn included, had seen any side of her except the typical headstrong, confident, tomboyish Zoey, and that's the way she wanted it to stay. In truth, since she'd met the bundle of nerves known as Dawn at her first Jubilife Contest, Zoey had taken an affinity to her. Then, it had been instant friendship. Slowly… she didn't know what it had become, but it seemed every time she participated in a Contest, she found herself looking around for any sign of the blue-haired girl.

"Well, we only have one place left," a voice floated through the walls to the red-head – the voice was clearly that of Nurse Joy. "Someone's already using this room, but if you really need it… I don't think she would mind sharing."

_You've got to be kidding me. _

"Oh, thank you!" A second voice chirruped brightly just outside, "It won't be for long – I'm participating in the Contest tomorrow!"

A gentle knock sounded at the door, but Zoey was too stupefied to answer immediately. Maroon eyes wide and flickering, she simply stood there as if paralyzed. Finally, she mustered up the energy to speak. "Come in," she managed to say, still somehow sounding confident even as her emotions launched into a whirlwind inside her.

"Oh Zoey, I'm sorry to interrupt," Nurse Joy said as she opened the door with a click, "but she was just so desperate –"

"… Zoey!?" It was unmistakably the same girl. Older now, more mature, but her sapphire hair gave it away, as did the white hat with the pokeball mark on it that she always wore on her head.

"Oh, you two know each other?"

Immediately wiping the surprised expression away and hoping she hadn't looked like an idiot, the red-head smiled at the Nurse. "Oh, yeah. Dawn and I are pretty good friends." Inside of her, her mind guffawed.

As the nurse walked back down the hall, her shoes clacking against the shined floors of the Pokemon Center, Dawn closed the door behind her, seeming excited and embarrassed at the same time to be sharing a room with Zoey. Placing one hand on her hip, Zoey let a small smile curve her lips. "Hey, didn't know you were coming to this one too – wasn't winning one good enough for you?"

As Dawn slung the pack she was carrying from around her shoulders and dropped it on the bed, an eager grin broke across her face. "Oh, I just thought I'd compete again – I don't plan to win a second time."

"Hm. Awfully nice of you."

"It's so great to see you again!" Dawn leapt forward, standing inches away from the red-head's face, causing her to take a step back a bit, blinking with surprise. Realizing her mistake, Dawn shirked back a little, blushing hotly. "Um, I mean. Well, it's just been a while, that's all."

There was silence for tense moment as Zoey's heart thudded loudly against her rib cage. That had been a little too close. At last, she smiled again, "Yeah. Missed you too." She turned and busied herself with fluffing the pillows on the bed and pointlessly arranging the already-perfect sheets. She needed something to busy herself with; something to take her eyes off that girl standing behind her, the girl that had unknowingly captured her heart from day one. "You're sleeping on the floor, hands down," Zoey established as she glanced over her shoulder, a coy smile playing on her lips. "There's no way I'm letting you take the bed." The glimmer in her dark eyes was enough to show that she was merely joking, but Dawn was surprisingly silent.

Zoey then turned her attention back to the bed, placing both hands on her hips now as she searched for something else to pointlessly fix. She was disturbed by a timid voice behind her. "…Zoey?"

She couldn't help but bite the inside of her bottom lip as she slowly turned to face a shy-looking Dawn, resembling the self-conscious girl of years ago when they'd first met. Blinking with surprise, the red-head dared take a step forward. "Is… something up, Dawn?"

More silence. She could _feel _the uncertainty radiating from the younger girl. A gentle smile wormed its way onto her face as she walked forward, placing a reassuring hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about the Contest tomorrow. What've you got to be scared about? You won last year; you'll do just as great –"

"I-It's not that. I'm not worried about the Contest."

Maroon eyes flickered with surprise – well, if not the Contest, what else was there to be scared about? At last, Dawn managed to raise her head to meet the older girl's eyes, and the emotions glimmering in the depths of those dark irises was enough to make Zoey's heart skip a beat. "I…Well, lately, I…"

Zoey couldn't help but lean a little bit forward, as if yearning to hear the rest of Dawn's sentence. What was it…? Was she…?

Abruptly Dawn turned away, crimson heavily shading her cheeks. "Um, never mind! I'll tell you some other time. We both have the Contest to worry about tomorrow. Let's get some –"

"Dawn," Zoey's voice cut off the younger girl's clipped sentences, and she stopped in place, back turned to the older coordinator. Gaze steady, Zoey continued, "Come on, just tell me. What's there to hide? We're friends, right?"

She wasn't sure if those words were the right ones to say, but slowly, Dawn began to turn again, although she refused to meet Zoey's intense eyes. Zoey noted the way Dawn laced her fingers together nervously and bit her lip as she always used to do before it was her turn to go on stage. She was nervous about something? A minute passed before Dawn mustered the courage to speak again. "Zoey, I… well, I… I think I love you."

Time froze for a moment. Had she heard correctly? Thought whizzed through the red-head's mind at super speed.

_How-?_

_But when? She hasn't seen me for two years!_

_Why didn't she tell me this before?_

_Has she loved me as long as I have her?_

But, above all: _Finally!_

However, not exactly being well-versed or eloquent when it came to delicate and tactful speech, all Zoey could manage was a flustered, "what?" Instantly she regretted her brash action as Dawn squeezed her eyes shut and turned on her heels, unable to face her older rival. She could hear Dawn beginning to cry as her shoulders started trembling. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Zoey swiftly made her way to the younger girl and placed her hands on Dawn's shoulders. To her surprise, she made no attempt to pull away.

Pushing all thoughts of how and when from her mind, she simply smiled. "I love you too." There was more silence as the whimpers and sobs slowly faded slightly, although the sniffles were still there occasionally. Slowly Dawn turned, and Zoey's heart nearly broke at the sight of the girl's eyes glistening with tears.

"You…? But Zoey…"

Abruptly Zoey pulled the younger girl into a tight hug, folding her arms around Dawn's shoulders and smiling. For years she'd waited for this moment. Since their last parting at Lake Valor, Zoey had been waiting for this – this very moment. Granted, she'd imagined it a little bit more romantic and fanciful, but this moment was here at long last and she had no complaints. When Dawn wordlessly returned the embrace, the redhead felt her heart constrict with emotion. At last they pulled apart, and the confident smile was returned to Zoey's face, although now it was lit with a sort of earlier-concealed fondness. She loved the hopeful, glimmering expression Dawn wore, and though no words were exchanged for another minute, the silence spoke more than words could ever express.

At long last Dawn broke the silence. "Ever since you left at the Wallace Cup…"

"I've loved you," Zoey completed the sentence, no longer doubtful of her feelings – there was nothing to doubt. What else could this be? This magnificent, overwhelming, ecstatic feeling?

Dawn raised her head, wonder in her eyes. "You…?"

"Ever since then," Zoey confirmed with a nod, and without warning, she then felt pressure against her mouth, and blinked to find Dawn's lips connecting with hers. A moment of shock, and then she allowed herself to relax, sharing with Dawn a moment she never imagined she would share. The world revolved around them for those few seconds, and then it was over all too soon. As Dawn broke contact, Zoey found herself smiling broadly, letting her hand slip from her friend – no, lover's shoulder and back down at her side.

"You're the best girlfriend I could ever ask for, Zoey."

The redhead didn't know what to say to that, so she simply smiled. She had never kissed anyone before, and doubted Dawn ever had either, but she had never imagined it would be so… magical, so entrancing.

At last she turned around again, and then time seemed to continue – it was already well into the night, and they'd need to be well-rested if they were going to stand a chance competing in the morning. She could hear Dawn behind her, pulling a sleeping bag out from the closet and spreading it out on the floor. Turning, Zoey wordlessly helped to complete the task and then stood up. "I'll take the floor; you can sleep on the bed." She smiled up at Dawn, and the blue-haired girl looked at her with surprise, but merely then nodded.

The lights were turned off and Zoey crept into the insulated sleeping bag, suppressing a yawn, thoughts swimming with images of Dawn. The tingling feeling of the kiss still lingered on her lips.

"Zoey…?"

The silence was broken by the soft voice again, and Zoey opened an eye. "Yeah?"

"… Good luck tomorrow."

Some more silence. "… Yeah, you too."

"… Do you think I'll do okay?"

A gentle, affectionate smile tugged at the corners of Zoey's mouth even as she knew Dawn wouldn't be able to see it. "Just go to sleep, Dawn."

_All the things she said, running through my head._

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Alright! ^^

So if you liked that story and want me to write more, I'd like to request something of you. Of course, if you don't want to, I'll still be writing. xD

To help with my ever-diminishing fountain of imagination, I would love if people who liked this story would send me a PM with an idea for my next appealshipping oneshot (as I'm hoping to write a lot more.) It can be anything – it can be AU, or based off a song, or whatever. I'll perhaps select the ones I like best and turn them into a oneshot!

For example, Iono, if you want me to base an appealshipping oneshot off of… uh, modern Gangster society! (Not sure if I could actually do that…) just tell me that. You don't need to say anything more.

If you want it based off a song, PM me the title and artist.

If you would help me with this, I'd be really grateful. Thanks a bunch! ^^


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